DALTON, Ga. — The members of the Dalton Board of Education made official Tuesday a .57 mill increase in the property tax rate that voters had basically approved last November with the passing of a measure to fund the construction of a new 6/7 grades school.

As part of the language of the bond referendum to allocate monies for the acquisition of land and the building of the Hammond Creek Middle School, voters approved a separate property tax to pay off the nearly $47 million in borrowing for the school’s construction. The referendum passed by 135 votes out of 2,843 votes cast, and school officials said previously they expected a second millage rate of at least .4 mills.

In a 3-0 vote by Chairman Rick Fromm and school board members Matt Evans and Palmer Griffin, the primary millage rate will remain 8.2 mills, with .57 mills added for the debt payments. The average tax increase on a $125,000 home will be just over $71 a year.

“The (school) system is fiscally sound, and the administration — both now under Superintendent Tim Scott and in the past under Superintendent Jim Hawkins — has done a great job of weathering the storm of the recession while still being able to increase our bottom line,” Fromm said. “We have a healthy fund balance and this vote helps us to be able to invest in a new facility while still being fiscally responsible with the taxpayers’ money.”

The fund balance is currently $13.95 million.

Board members Tulley Johnson and Pablo Perez were not in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting.

Tuesday’s approval came after the third of three required public hearings on the tax increase. Chief of Staff Pat Holloway said no members of the public attended any of the hearings.